Most people go through periods of questioning their purpose and goals. It can be quite tough. “What am I here to do?”. Some people have found their purpose in research, teaching, learning, business, family or religion. I’m just coming to the end of a period where I’ve had an unwavering sense of purpose to grow a business, but that phase is passing and I don’t truly feel that I know what’s next. I want to feel like I am achieving something. I want to have fun. I want to share and inspire. I want to be inspired. I want to contribute to a greater good, whether that’s social, economic, environmental or something else – I’m not yet sure. Probably a mix of all the above.
My “sense of purpose” whiskers are twitching, looking for the next goal … I have a feeling I know what it is, but in the meantime I’m doing some inner exploring to figure out a few things. I’m super excited to be moving to a new country, with new experiences, new people, new everything… but I know that there will be some tough times that will need strength of spirit to get through. “Why am I doing this?” … “Am I getting closer to my goals?” … “What are my goals?”
While I figure those bug ‘uns out – and it may take a looong time – there are a few foundational building blocks that need to be cemented down first. A few ground rules on which everything else is built. Here are a few quotes that capture the spirit of some of these building blocks – l’essence de vie – and how I interpret them.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
Live to buzz. Live to make others buzz. Enthusiasm is infectious. Positive thinking is motivating for me and others around me. Banish negative thoughts to the realms of self reflection and conversations with those close to me. Making other people happy gives me a kick. Do more of it.
“Unless you have tried to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” – Ronald E Osborn
Do new things every day. I won’t let fear stop me from taking a step into the unknown. I love learning. I won’t be afraid to move on when I feel that the pace of learning has slowed, or routine is setting in. Maybe when I’m older I will give routine a place to stay, but right now it’s not welcome at the door.
“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” – Lao Tzu
Hmmn – not quite so sure about this one. It comes across with an air of superiority – life’s not about being better than other people, or controlling others – but I can see what Lao is getting at. It’s about being introspective and understanding oneself. I will question everything. But not to the point where I’m just thrashing around in an internal mess of cross examination. That would be silly.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” – Henry David Thoreau
The woods are great. Wild open spaces are great. I love getting out into the great outdoors – the back country, the ocean, the wilderness. Why? Partly because of the physical activity – to get to the top of a hill you have to climb it – and partly because there are fewer people, and partly because I’m always amazed by nature. There are no crass consumers out in the wilderness, wanting bigger TVs and flashier phones. The folks you meet are generally like minded and down to earth. You are forced to simplify. To eat, to walk, to sleep, to talk, to look, to listen.
“What is money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” – Bob Dylan
Right on. Whilst a certain amount of money is certainly needed to get by, there really no need to keep working purely for money’s sake. Ideally, money would be a by product of doing what I love doing, so that I can spend on the things that keep my spirit nourished with everything from good, healthy food to time away from it all.
“As is a tale, so is life; not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” – Seneca
Well, I think old Seneca here is getting at the fact that it’s all about the quality. I’d be just fine if life was long as well as good, but if you have to place your chips on one or the other, I’d definitely punt for quality.
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live.” – Norman Cousins
If nothing else, I think this is just a sharp reminder to keep checking back against what I strive for. Keep a tight hold on the good things and don’t let them die away – they can often be very hard to get back once cynicism and disillusionment has set in.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein
“Why?” is a great question. My favourite question of all time. So often we skip over the real true essence of a feeling or shared experience, assuming that the person we are talking to already understands. But when you dig into the detail you discover so much more. Explore the inner depths of a conversation. Explore the workings of a machine. Question your motives so that when you achieve, you really feel it.
“Live simply”
Simple living is something I believe strongly in. We don’t need to cram our lives with possessions. We don’t have to live like hermits, but we do need to make use of what we own, and we need to consider experiences more valuable than stuff. It’s not just about things though, it’s also about the impact we have on the people and the world around us. I want to buy products that aren’t wrapped in a gazillion layers of plastic – easier said than done, these days. I want to be a giver, not a taker, when it comes to society at large. I’m thinking about how we can go “off the grid” when we move aboard Rafiki in a couple of weeks’ time.
So, yeah, a load of stuff there to think about. Intimidating, exciting, motivating. It’s time to get out there. To explore. To discover. To learn.
Road and Ocean 